1. I have finally learned the names of all of the students in my Home of Affection class. This was not as easy it sounds, because half of the time their names sound like grunting to me. haha. But, it definitely has helped me teach them... so I can call on them for answers (otherwise it is just the same smarty-pants putting his hand up all of the time) and also call their name when I see that they are not paying attention.

2. The other volunteers are gone for the weekend! This means that I can practice Vietnamese, go on a bike ride, read, and have the house to myself.

3. I've bonded a lot with one of the boys at the disabled orphanage center. Although he cannot move very much or speak, he smiles and laughs when I sing to him. He is so cute! I wish that I could help him stop clinching his muscles though. His legs are permanently crossed and tight, and his neck is clinched so far back that he cannot lie in a "normal" position. If I give him a massage with baby oil, I can sometimes get him to relax into a different position for a little while, but it never lasts for very long.

4. I have been singing a lot to the kids. At the disabled orphanage center, I sing because I am sure that at least some of the kids have no sight. Although I am not really sure which ones can see and which ones can't (some of them do not move much, so there is no easy way to test... some of them blink if you move your hands close to their eyes - others don't). At the schools, I sing more songs to give the students a controlled break that will keep them learning some English. A lot of the songs are songs that I remember from those old summer days at Deer Valley. : )